Mixing nozzle



Dec. 2, 1952 B. a. COPPING 2,520,103

MIXING NOZZLE Filed D60,- 18, 1946 IN V EN TOR.

Bea/ca G. Goppllva Patented Dec. 2, 1952 MIXING NOZZLE Bruce G. Cupping, Atlanta, Ga., assignor to The Goca-Cola Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application December 18, 1946, Serial No. 717,011 2 Claims. (01. 225--21) This invention relates to the soft drink industry, and more particularly to a new and improved mixing nozzle intended for use on beverage dispensers, and the like.

In the preparing of carbonated beverages at soda fountains and similar outlets, broad experience has indicated the desirability of mixing the flavoring syrup and carbonated water, which comprise the principal ingredients of the finished beverage, immediately before serving, the flavor and quality of the syrup being best maintained in this manner, and the highest degree of carbonation in the water being thereby effected. To this end, devices have heretofore been manufactured which have as their function the measuring and mixing of carbonated water and beverage syrup, immediately before, or concurrently with, their being directed into a glass or similar container from which they are served to the customer. Such devices must operate with speed and accuracy, and it is desirable that the components of the drink be automatically mixed at that time, thereby eliminating an additional operationthat of stirring-on the part of the busy soda dispenser.

The difficulty in securing the last mentioned result lies not only in bringing the ingredients together in a satisfactory manner, but also in the fact that when mixing occurs within the dispenser, a residue of diluted syrup remains therein, and particularly in the nozzle portion, which residue will, if left for any length of time, form mold. Also, fiies and other insects are naturally attracted to any such sticky surface, all of which is undesirable from a standpoint of sanitation.

An object of this invention is to provide a mixing nozzle which efiects its intended function, yet which leaves no residue of diluted syrup in the dispenser, after serving a drink.

Another object is to provide simplicity in such a device.

A still further object is to provide economy of manufacture.

Another object is to effect ease of maintenance in a mixing nozzle.

Another object is to provide an absolute minimum of moving parts in such a structure.

These and other objects are accomplished by means of my improved mixing nozzle, a full and complete understanding of which is facilitated by reference to the drawings herein, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view, fragmentary in part, showing that part of a beverage dispenser with which the instant invention is immediately concerned;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view of certain structure illustrated in Fig. 1, taken along the line 2-2 thereof, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the general nozzle structure illustrated in Fig. 2.

Like numerals refer to corresponding parts in the various views of the drawings.

Referring now to Fig. 1, l0 represents the lower portion of a syrup tank, preferably fabricated of stainless steel, and calculated to hold a soft drink syrup. II is a cooling coil casting which forms no part of the instant invention; I2 is a sheet of insulation contained in the metallic shell 13. which surrounds the dispenser; and I4 is a lower half bushing, which may be threadably engaged with upper half bushing l5. 1

l6 indicates the composite lower valve body, which in conjunction with return spring 11 00- operates with movable sleeve l8 in a manner described during the further progress of this specification. A seal ring I9 is placed between :3 and I6, and a lower seal 20 between 16 and A helical capillary nozzle of the type generally described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 585,886, filed March 31, 1945, for Nozzles, now Patent No. 2,511,529, issued June 13, 1950, is indicated by the numeral 2 I, carbonated water entering the device through water inlet 22.

23 is a syrup cup operatively mounted with movable sleeve 18, in conjunction with an upper seal 24, and having a syrup outlet 25. A lower syrup valve 26 is fixedly mounted in syrup cup 23; and an upper syrup valve 21 operates adjacent 23, in conjunction with syrup valve guide 28. An air vent tube 29 is associated with upper valve 21 in such a manner as to permit free entry of syrup into cup 23 during the filling period in a given operational phase of the dispenser.

A nozzle 30 is securely afiixed to valve element [6, and a shield 3| is secured to syrup cup 23 adjacent outlet 25 thereof.

Special attention is now directed to the internal construction of nozzle 30 (Figs. 2 and 1), the outer contour of which device is more or less conventional in form.

Said nozzle is provided with a plurality of horizontally extending fins or vanes 32, 33, and 34, which meet at a common point 35, in the center of the throat of the nozzle piece, this central meeting point of the three vanes being squarely beneath the syrup outlet hole 25 in the valve. The vanes ar-e of a width suitable for accomplishing their intended functions as described in detail here-after, yet not to interfere wardly against the pressure of spring l1, this serving to unseat lower syrup valve 26 from opening 25, and at the same time to simultaneously close upper syrup'v'alve" 21against upper valve body 31 as at points-- 38, syrup valve guide 28 facilitating this operation. A pre-determined amount of syrup has entered cup 23 during the time that the carbonated water is turned off and the upper valve opened, lower syrup valve 26 obviously being closed against -2 at such time.

- Now that the forceaof. carbonated: wa'ter' entering' through 22 has opened-valve 26, aistream of syrup passes through and impinges ion intersectionz. pointf :of the three. vanes 32,- I33, and 34, said syrups'tre'am beingbrok'en .up by its impinging upon said-point. =.Al;. the same time, carbonated water is flowing: downwardly through the throat of nozzle-38;; and the breaking up of the"syrup sstream,-a'as indicated .at '3QQ-(Fig; 1) enables the carbonated"water to I pick -.upthe syrup and "mix thoroughly with it, enteringthe glass ifl as a finished' bevera'ge, '4 l. v

The ifore'going is in contrast with -practices heretofore known tothe art; whera -in the 'absence of the intersecting :vanes -disclosed herein, the stream of syrup remains-substanti l y intact "in falling into theglass-, andbecause of its greater weight and higher viscosity than can 'bonated water, runningto the bottom of j the glassg and not beingadequately. b-roken up or mixedwith the carbonated water. This, 'in-tiirn, requires: an additional Stii'r-ing oper ation on' the part of the soda dispenser, involving both loss of timeand what may-be mor'e undesirable, 'loss of carbonation in the-7d nkas such is --presented to the customer. ll The -potability of carbonated beveragesdepends, in substantial party upon the degree of car bonation' at which 'they fare served, and attainm'ent-andpreservation of" the desired degree in thisbonnectiomhas long been aprobiem in the industry.

-When the supp-l-y ofcarbonated water' to' inlet 22 4s "shutoff-, the pressureinthe system is immediately-so reduced as to allowspring 1 to return-cup 2 3 =quickly against valve--26; therebyv closing the valve and stopping "the" 'flow"'of 'syr upA However; a 'certain amountfof Water still remains in the-"capillary nozzle, andthis -flows downwardly- :bygravity, and Washes the interior of themozzle and particularly vanes 32, 33;- and 34, and 'intersection point 35, thus leaving the nozzle clean and freefromanyt-race "of syrup after each dispehsi'ng'operation. The desirabil- 'from any syrup, between operations.

rality of vanes inity of this in eliminating the possibility of mold formation and avoiding an attraction for insects, is obvious.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that I have shown and described a unique mixing nozzle, which automatically accomplishes the desired "result of breaking up a s'y'rup stream, and thereby enabling adjacent carbonated *water to mix thoroughly with the syrup before reaching a glass, or other container in which the finished drink is merchandised. That my invention has the'further advantage of keeping the nozzle free That the entire arrangement is simple, economical, easy and cheap to manufacture, embraces no service problems, and is entirely satisfactory for its intended purposes.

While I have described in some detail certain structure herein, it will be understood that this is by way of example, and does 'nothave any limiting implications" whatsoever,- it being ,intended-th-at theclaims herein-should'be accorded a construction and scope fairly-in keeping my contribution to the art, 7 v

I claim: 7 p

1. In I a device-of-the character described,;:a syrup tank, a valve;-communicating witlrsaid tank, a syrup cup adjacent-said valve', val ve means regulating the fiow of.,syrup fromthe cup, said first-mentioned I valve being closed when the second is opened, a capillary nozzleqsurroundingsaid syrup, cup,--means'- for directing carbonated Water to; saidnozzle, and a mixing nozzle" mountedadjacent the capillary -;noz z1e, said mixing nozzle being provided with a- -plurality-of vanesextendingacross the normalpath of downwardfiow of syrup f rom the synuppup, said'vanes diiT-using syrup at suchtime, and mix ing such with carbonated water in thein-iX-ing nozzle. 7

' 2;'ln a device. of thecharacter." described, fa sourceoi water, a source *of Lsyrup supply, Ia nozzle communicating with saidformer. source, a valve regulating flow "ofthe syrup}. and ajplu said nOZZle eXtending across the normal path of downward 'fiow iofth'e syrup. wherebysaidsyriup'is diffused and mixed with the'water.. I 'BRUCEfG COPPING.

=-REFERENGES CITED The following references are of recordin the file of this patent:

' UNITED STATES: PATENTS... 

